Episode notes
Our guest in this episode is David Tench, a Grace Hopper postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, who specializes in scalable graph algorithms and compression techniques to tackle massive datasets. In this episode, we will learn how his techniques enable real-time analysis of large datasets, such as particle tracking in physics experiments or social network analysis, by reducing storage requirements while preserving critical structural properties. David also challenges the common belief that giant graphs are sparse by pointing to a potential bias: Maybe because of the…
Podcast
Data Skeptic
Kyle Polich · Tech & Science · English
The Data Skeptic Podcast features interviews and discussion of topics related to data science, statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and the like, all from the perspective of applying critical thinking and the scientific method to evaluate the veracity of claims and efficacy of…
More from Data Skeptic All episodes →
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10 Feb 2025 · 35 min
LLMs and Graphs Synergy
In this episode, Garima Agrawal, a senior researcher and AI consultant, brings her years of experience in data science and artificial intelligence. Listeners will learn about the evolving role of knowledge graphs in augmenting large language models (LLMs) for domain-specific tasks and how these tools can mitigate issues like hallucination in AI systems. Key insights include how LLMs can leverage knowledge graphs to improve accuracy by integrating domain expertise, reducing hallucinations, and enabling better reasoning. Real-life applications discussed range from enhancing customer support…
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4 Feb 2025 · 46 min
A Network of Networks
In this episode, Bnaya Gross, a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Complex Network Research at Northwestern University, explores the transformative applications of network science in fields ranging from infrastructure to medicine, by studying the interactions between networks ("a network of networks"). Listeners will learn how interdependent networks provide a framework for understanding cascading failures, such as power outages, and how these insights transfer to physical systems like superconducting materials and biological networks. Key takeaways include understanding how…
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29 Jan 2025 · 40 min
Auditing LLMs and Twitter
Our guests, Erwan Le Merrer and Gilles Tredan, are long-time collaborators in graph theory and distributed systems. They share their expertise on applying graph-based approaches to understanding both large language model (LLM) hallucinations and shadow banning on social media platforms. In this episode, listeners will learn how graph structures and metrics can reveal patterns in algorithmic behavior and platform moderation practices. Key insights include the use of graph theory to evaluate LLM outputs, uncovering patterns in hallucinated graphs that might hint at the underlying structure and…
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22 Jan 2025 · 37 min
Fraud Detection with Graphs
In this episode, Šimon Mandlík, a PhD candidate at the Czech Technical University will talk with us about leveraging machine learning and graph-based techniques for cybersecurity applications. We'll learn how graphs are used to detect malicious activity in networks, such as identifying harmful domains and executable files by analyzing their relationships within vast datasets. This will include the use of hierarchical multi-instance learning (HML) to represent JSON-based network activity as graphs and the advantages of analyzing connections between entities (like clients, domains etc.). Our…
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15 Jan 2025 · 38 min
Optimizing Supply Chains with GNN
Thibaut Vidal, a professor at Polytechnique Montreal, specializes in leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning to optimize supply chain operations. In this episode, listeners will learn how graph-based approaches can transform supply chains by enabling more efficient routing, districting, and decision-making in complex logistical networks. Key insights include the application of Graph Neural Networks to predict delivery costs, with potential to improve districting strategies for companies like UPS or Amazon and overcoming limitations of traditional heuristic methods. Thibaut's work…
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16 Dec 2024 · 38 min
Customizing a Graph Solution
In this episode, Dave Bechberger, principal Graph Architect at AWS and author of "Graph Databases in Action", brings deep insights into the field of graph databases and their applications. Together we delve into specific scenarios in which Graph Databases provide unique solutions, such as in the fraud industry, and learn how to optimize our DB for questions around connections, such as "How are these entities related?" or "What patterns of interaction indicate anomalies?" This discussion sheds light on when organizations should consider adopting graph databases, particularly for cases that…
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9 Dec 2024 · 33 min
Graph Transformations
In this episode, Adam Machowczyk, a PhD student at the University of Leicester, specializes in graph rewriting and its intersection with machine learning, particularly Graph Neural Networks. Adam explains how graph rewriting provides a formalized method to modify graphs using rule-based transformations, allowing for tasks like graph completion, attribute prediction, and structural evolution. Bridging the worlds of graph rewriting and machine learning, Adam's work aspire to open new possibilities for creating adaptive, scalable models capable of solving challenges that traditional methods…
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25 Nov 2024 · 37 min
Networks for AB Testing
In this episode, the data scientist Wentao Su shares his experience in AB testing on social media platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok. We talk about how network science can enhance AB testing by accounting for complex social interactions, especially in environments where users are both viewers and content creators. These interactions might cause a "spillover effect" meaning a possible influence across experimental groups, which can distort results. To mitigate this effect, our guest presents heuristics and algorithms they developed ("one-degree label propagation") to allow for good results on…
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18 Nov 2024 · 38 min
Lessons from eGamer Networks
Alex Bisberg, a PhD candidate at the University of Southern California, specializes in network science and game analytics, with a focus on understanding social and competitive success in multiplayer online games. In this episode, listeners can expect to learn from a network perspective about players interactions and patterns of behavior. Through his research on games, Alex sheds light on how network analysis and statistical tests might explain positive contagious behaviors, such as generosity, and explore the dynamics of collaboration and competition in gaming environments. These insights…
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11 Nov 2024 · 42 min
Github Collaboration Network
In this episode we discuss the GitHub Collaboration Network with Behnaz Moradi-Jamei, assistant professor at James Madison University. As a network scientist, Behnaz created and analyzed a network of about 700,000 contributors to Github's repository. The network of collaborators on GitHub was created by identifying developers (nodes) and linking them with edges based on shared contributions to the same repositories. This means that if two developers contributed to the same project, an edge (connection) was formed between them, representing a collaborative relationship network consisting of…
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